Drake vs. Belmont odds, prediction: 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament men's college basketball picks from proven model

The ninth-seeded Drake Bulldogs take on the top-seeded Belmont Bruins in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon. Drake is coming off a 67-63 win over Southern Illinois in an MVC first-round matchup on Thursday, while Belmont dropped an 81-74 decision at Illinois State in the regular-season finale on Sunday. The Bulldogs (13-19, 6-14 MVC), who snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Salukis, are looking to win their fourth MVC Tournament title in a row. The Bruins (26-5, 16-4 MVC), who are 2-0 on neutral courts this season, are seeking their first-ever MVC Tournament title.

Tip-off from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis is set for 1 p.m. ET. Drake leads the all-time series 5-4, but Belmont swept the season series, including a 103-90 win on Feb. 3. Belmont is an 11.5-point favorite in the latest Drake vs. Belmont odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 153.5. 

Before making any Drake vs. Belmont picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered Week 18 on a sizzling 11-1 run on top-ranked over/under picks dating back to last year, and is on an 23-17 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following could have seen HUGE returns!

The model has simulated Drake vs. Belmont 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread hits in over 50% of simulations!

So who wins Drake vs. Belmont, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times!